"It is said that roughly three hundred years ago, the first Emperor of the Shouro Empire split from the Dinar Kingdom and stood upon the banks of Lake Tosmo."
The Empress spoke quietly, narrating the origins of the nation.
What did the young Emperor think as he looked out over that vast, sprawling land alongside his Empress?
"They say the first thing he declared was that there was a task he had to attend to immediately."
It was not to build a castle, nor was it to establish a city.
"'Let us plant wheat.' That is what he supposedly said."
He began by creating fields where crops could grow. He told his attendants that a simple shack would suffice for his own dwelling until that work was finished.
"'The foundation of a nation is not its king, nor its soldiers, nor its army; it is food.' That is why the head of wheat became our national emblem."
The Empress’s gaze seemed to drift toward a distant memory.
"For the next ten years, it is said the Emperor himself tilled the earth, dug wells, drew water, planted wheat, and grew vegetables. He planted trees and made flowers bloom, slowly building the very foundation of this country."
Apparently, the Royal Palace was only completed during the reign of the third Emperor.
"Until then, they lived in a house not much different from those of the common folk."
While that part was likely a bit of an exaggeration, one could still feel that the progenitor of the Shouro Empire had put an extraordinary amount of effort into founding the nation.
"But to return to the story... During those ten years, there was a particularly difficult period where the Emperor supposedly asked the Empress, 'Why don't you return to your parents' home for a while?' To which she replied, 'My home is here, wherever you are,' pledging once more to share in both his joys and his sorrows."
Stopping there, the Empress smiled warmly and looked back and forth between Elsa and Jin.
"Following that legend, it became a common saying in the Shouro Empire that a woman should consider the family she marries into as her new home."
"..."
"So, Jin-kun, please be mindful of Elsa's feelings, all right?"
"I understand."
Jin finally understood the reason why Elsa had insisted she would not return to her childhood home just yet.
"And finally, because of those origins, while the Imperial emblem is the 'crossed swords'—the Drei Schwerter—inherited from the main family we split from, the national emblem is 'three stalks of wheat.' The three stalks are said to represent the bond between parent and child."
The Empress concluded her tale.
"Thank you very much."
Jin and Elsa both bowed their heads.
"Now then, enough of this stiff talk. Jin-kun, thank you for the commemorative medal you gave me yesterday. It’s truly lovely."
"I am honored."
For this occasion, Jin had focused on creating a commemorative item with high intrinsic value, ensuring it was a gift appropriate for any recipient.
"I shall prepare some magic tools for the next occasion."
"Indeed, I look forward to it. But I wonder... what exactly do you mean by 'the next'?"
The Empress smiled mischievously.
It took Jin a moment to catch her meaning, but he realized a beat later that she was teasing him about holding another wedding reception.
"Er, well, by 'next,' I simply meant some other future celebratory event."
The Empress watched with a laugh as Jin hurriedly fumbled for an explanation. Then, she spoke.
"I'm only joking. So Elsa, please don't glare at me like that."
Called out, Elsa became just as flustered as Jin.
"U-Um, I didn't mean to..."
It was a very peaceful, harmonious luncheon.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...It’s finally over."
"Mhm, it’s over."
Elsa sat beside Jin with a satisfied smile on her face.
The two of them had just returned to their mansion in Loizart. For the moment, they were simply sinking into the sofa, letting the day's tension drain away.
"I’d never heard that story about the founder before."
"I hadn't heard about half of it either."
Since it was a story passed down through the Imperial Family, it was only natural that Elsa wouldn't know the details.
"But you heard something from your mother-in-law, didn't you?"
"Only the part about 'thinking of the home you marry into as your own.'"
"I see."
"Mhm. But I was happy to see Mother today."
"I bet. We owe Her Majesty our thanks. Still, the origin of the wheat, huh..."
Jin thought it was quite a profound story.
In Japan, there was the legend of Emperor Nintoku, who exempted the people from taxes for years after seeing no cooking smoke rising from their homes and realizing they were impoverished. Jin also recalled hearing stories of princes who ventured off to pioneer new lands.
"...My future home."
"Eh?"
Jin heard Elsa murmur something and asked her to repeat it.
"The place I married into... it is my future home. That is how I feel."
"Elsa..."
"Right now, Kunlun Island, Hourai Island, and Kaina Village are my second, third, and fourth homes. But the place where I truly belong is by your side."
With that, Elsa buried her face in Jin's chest. Jin gently pulled her into an embrace. At a distance where they could feel each other's warmth, they both felt completely fulfilled.
＊ ＊ ＊
It was August 28th. August was drawing to a close.
Jin felt as though a cool breeze had begun to blow in the mornings and evenings.
"Tomorrow we head to the Klein Kingdom."
If that was the case, Jin decided they should spend some time in Kaina Village first.
They prepared for the trip at a relaxed pace. Due to the time difference, it should already be close to noon in Kaina Village.
"If we fly out now, we'll arrive right around lunchtime."
Jin and Elsa headed for the rooftop. There, Edgar and Reiko were waiting, having already finished the pre-flight checks for the Konron 3.
"Thanks for the hard work. Shall we go, then?"
"Yes."
Edgar took the pilot's seat again, and the Konron 3 rose slowly into the air. Once it reached a sufficient altitude, it transitioned to level flight. At an altitude of roughly 6,000 meters, they were in a world above the clouds.
Gazing at the sea of clouds below while cruising at 600 kilometers per hour, they arrived at Kaina Village in about an hour and a half.
They touched down in the plaza in front of Jin Castle. Butler B and C, who were stationed at the castle, along with unit 101 of the Five-Colored Golem Maids, came out to greet them.
"It’s already cooler here."
Compared to Loizart, Kaina Village sat at a higher elevation and latitude, and the hints of autumn were already present in the air.
"Shall we go see Hanna first?"
"Mhm."
They needed to properly inform her that they would be going on another journey soon.
Jin, Elsa, Reiko, and Edgar walked together toward Martha’s house.
"Ah, Onii-chan! Onee-chan!"
Hanna had likely spotted the Konron 3 from afar; she was already waiting in front of the house to welcome them back.